by Samantha Hamilton from SH Weddings, a Hanle Productions Blog Contributor
You’ve just said yes, you’ve shared the news with your friends and family, you may have been the subject of a few happy toasts and you have a beautiful new ring on your finger. But like, now what?
If you’re new wedding planning, believe me, I feel you. When I got engaged, I really didn’t know what to do because my wedding was the first in my family in probably 20 years or so. It was an unchartered territory for me, but along the way, I learned a few things, and yeah, even made a business out of it.
The absolute best thing I’ve learned, and the best piece of advice I can give when it comes to the beginning planning steps is picking priorities. One of the first things I hear from most clients is, “We’re on a budget” and one of the first things I ask them is, “What is the most important thing to you when it comes to your wedding?”
Pick three things for your wedding you absolutely want, and then cut back on the rest. If photography is really important to you, don’t hesitate to hire a really high quality one – and then maybe curt your floral budget by DIYing your centerpieces with lots of candles and bud vases. Does the idea of a photo booth at your reception tickle you pink? Do it, but maybe consider an iPod wedding instead of hiring a DJ or band. Is fashion really important to you? Then get that designer gown, but maybe nix the cocktail hour string quartet.
By picking three things that you really, really love and getting creative with the rest, you’re guaranteed to be so happy with your purchases that you won’t miss the lobster entrée you could have gotten instead of the salmon, or that your linens are missing that pretty gold overlay that you thought sounded perfect.
It’s so easy in this industry to feel like you need it all on your wedding day because it truly does only happen once and there are so many websites dedicated to makes brides feel like they need tons of accessories to make your wedding legitimate. But by picking priorities, you’ll soon see that you really don’t need it all if you have a few things you splurged on that you’re absolutely in love with. You’ll look back and say, “That venue was SO worth the cost” and you won’t even give a second thought to all the other things you thought you needed.
I also find this approach to planning to really help couples focus on making their wedding their own. When you’re inundated with all kinds of wedding favors, trinkets, special guest book pens, lavish centerpieces and $300 bridesmaids dresses, it’s easy to stray from what will really reflect you on your wedding day. By picking priorities, it keeps you focused on what’s really important to you, and that will make the biggest impression on your guests, and what they’ll take away from your big day.
Happy planning!
~ Sam
